What is Flour?
If you’re new to paleo baking you’ll want to know what types of flours you can use. It’s easier than you think! Flour is simply a term for something ground into powdery form. I’ve been baking with almond flour and coconut flour since 2001. I’ve become an expert along the way and am happy to share my knowledge with you here!
What is Almond Flour?
Almond flour is blanched almonds that are ground, then sifted into fine powdery flour. I adore almond flour. In fact, back in 2009, I wrote the book on almond flour. Yes! An entire book of almond flour recipes called The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook. Almond flour has a sweet flavor and rich buttery texture. It’s high-fat, high-protein, and fantastic for gluten-free baking. It’s also wonderful for grain-free paleo baking, and incredible when it comes to making cookies, cakes, scones, and muffins. If breading savory dishes is your thing, almond flour works well for that too. You’ll love my Paleo Chicken Parmesan and Paleo Cod Piccata recipes, which are fantastic for those on a low-carb Ketogenic Diet.
What is the Difference Between Almond Flour and Almond Meal?
Almond flour is different than almond meal. For almond meal, the skin is left on and the almonds have NOT been blanched. Almond meal does not work in my recipes. Nor do certain brands of almond flour. Why? When you use a product that is not finely ground you will get a lumpy, uneven result. Not a beautiful baked good that closely resembles its wheat flour counterpart.
What is Coconut Flour?
Coconut flour, a fantastic flour that yields very fluffy baked goods, is made from ground coconut. Coconut flour is more challenging to work with than almond flour. That’s because coconut flour is an incredibly “dry” flour. Like a sponge, coconut flour sops up loads of moisture.
Baking with coconut flour can be confusing for those accustomed to baking with wheat flour. A small amount of coconut flour provides a high yield of baked goods, relative to wheat flour. For example, my chocolate Paleo Birthday Cake has ½ cup coconut flour and 8 eggs.
As a stand alone flour, coconut flour does not yield crunchy baked goods the way almond flour does. Coconut flour does work incredibly well in cake and muffin recipes. Because many do not consider coconut a nut, coconut flour is a great alternative to almond flour for those with nut allergies. My second book, Gluten-Free Cupcakes, contains dozens of recipes that use coconut flour, almond flour, or a combination of the two. This book is perfect for birthdays and other special occasions.
Free exclusive eBook, plus recipes and health tips, delivered to your inbox.
Paleo Baking: Almond Flour vs. Coconut Flour
When it comes to paleo baking I use blanched almond flour (not almond meal) and coconut flour. Neither of these flours are a direct 1:1 substitute for wheat flour. I’m frequently asked if almond flour and coconut flour can be swapped in my recipes. The answer? It is not possible to substitute almond flour for coconut flour, or coconut flour for almond flour in my recipes.
Unless you are very advanced in paleo baking it is probably best to follow my recipes to the letter. If you want something that works, i.e., a gorgeous finished product, use the recommended brands of ingredients provided below.
Almond Flour and Coconut Flour are Real Food
Baking with paleo flours is great because almond flour and coconut flour are wholesome real foods. I do not use de-fatted flour in my recipes. First, because fat is wholesome and I do not want to eat a product that has the fat removed. Second, because these flours will not work in my recipes.
If you are buying de-fatted almond flour or coconut flour, you are purchasing a very different ingredient than I use in my recipes. It would be like using apple juice in a recipe that calls for apples. They’re both apple products, but can you imagine using apple juice to make apple pie? That won’t work.
Nutrition Facts
Below is a comparison of the macronutrients found in both almond flour and coconut flour. Measurement is 100 grams (approximately 3.5 ounces) or just shy of 1 cup.
Nutrition Info (100 g) | Fat | Protein | Carbs | Fiber |
---|---|---|---|---|
Almond Flour1 | 51g | 22g | 20g | 10g |
Coconut Flour2 | 9g | 19g | 65g | 39g |
As you can see, almond flour is far higher in fat than coconut flour, making it superior for those following a Ketogenic Diet, or a Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) diet. Coconut flour is far higher in carbohydrates than almond flour.
Since we are all biochemical individuals, you’ll need to decide which flour is better for you. Although my blog offers loads of healthy dessert recipes, I rarely eat baked goods these days. I focus on consuming animal protein, fat, and green vegetables. While I don’t calculate the macro-nutrient ratios of everything I eat, I know that many people need to do so. So I now provide nutrition information for the recipes my latest book, Paleo Cooking from Elana’s Pantry. You can find that here!
Using Paleo Baked Goods to Transition Away from SAD
Paleo baking is fabulous if you are transitioning from the SAD (Standard American Diet) to a paleo diet. Eating baked goods made from real food, without artificial coloring, flavoring, and white sugar is a step in the right direction.
Eating as few sweets as possible is the healthiest choice for most of us, especially those of us with weight issues or autoimmune conditions. Added sweeteners, even those that are natural such as honey, maple syrup or coconut sugar, can lead to weight gain and inflammation, so they are best avoided.
However, switching from the SAD to a keto-paleo diet, or LCHF diet is a lifestyle change that takes time. During my transition, I enjoyed having grain-free baked goods. Switching from starchy flours like wheat, and rice, to eating paleo baked goods made with almond flour and coconut flour, greatly improved my health. When making dietary changes, it’s best to make transitions on your own time table. Choose an eating plan that is satisfying. Stick to it in the long run, rather than just a few weeks here or there.
On that note, I don’t believe in dieting, I believe in choosing a way to eat and adhering to it. I’ve been eating completely grain-free since 2001 (no rice, corn, potatoes, millet, quinoa, or other grain-like seeds). That choice works for me, given the health issues that I deal with. I feel great eating this way. That’s huge motivation for me! You’ll need to find a way of eating that works for you. It helps to figure out what motivates you in your overall goals for healing.
Recommended Brands of Almond Flour and Coconut Flour
If you are familiar with my blog and books, you know there are certain brands of almond flour and coconut flour that work in my recipes, and others that don’t. It’s not that I play favorites, I figured this all out via trial and error and chats with my readers years ago.
Unfortunately, because almond flour and coconut flour are both relatively new ingredients on the mass market, there is a lot of variability when it comes to product quality and composition. Below are the brands that work in my recipes.
Almond Flour
Coconut Flour
- Nuts.com
- Tropical Traditions Coconut Flour
- Wilderness Family Naturals
Bob’s Red Mill, Let’s Do Organic, and Coconut Secret flours do not work in my recipes.
Paleo Baking
If you want to dive into the world of paleo baking, almond flour and coconut flour are my favorite ingredients. They’re highly nutritious, easy to use, and result in fantastic paleo baked goods and treats! I can digest these grain-free flours far more easily than wheat flour, or starchy gluten-free flours such as rice flour, buckwheat flour, teff flour, or tapioca flour.
Since I went grain-free in 2001, my goal has been to turn all of my favorite childhood recipes into grain-free classics. I did this for my son who was then a toddler and newly diagnosed with celiac. He followed a strict grain-free diet for several years which helped heal his gut.
If you’re looking for recipes using either of these flours, be sure to check out my almond flour recipes as well as my coconut flour recipes. If you are nut-free, take a look at my nut-free recipes. I hope you enjoy baking with these fantastic flours as much as I have for the last 16 years!
billi says
Bob’s Red Mill changed the coarseness of their grind. It’s now called Almond Flour and is much more finely and consistently ground. may want to check it out.
Elana says
Billi, thanks so much for your comment! I hope they will reach out to me about this :-)
Sarah W says
What do you know about consuming too much polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFAs) when eating a grain free or gluten free diet with lots of almond flour based recipes? I’ve read this can be a pitfall to eating too many nuts…just want to be balanced. Thank you!
Elana says
Sarah, thanks for your comment! I’ve been 100% grain-free since 2001 and when we measured my omega 6’s one of my functional medicine docs said they were so low that he was a bit concerned :-)
Myra hornbuckle says
Do you recommend corn flour. It is very easy to get in the South?
Elana says
Myra, I gave up corn in 2001 and haven’t eaten it ever since so not sure if it would work in my recipes :-)
Hailey says
Does Wellbee’s super fine blanched almond flour work in your recipes?
Elana says
Hailey, thanks for asking! Yes, it does :-)
Anne Santora says
So happy i found your site! I’ve recently been diagnosed with a number of good intolerances, including almonds, baker’s yeast and anything made from cow’s milk, and I’m only using stevia or xylitol for sweetener, although I really only use a sweetener when baking. I’ve been trying to find good recipes that use coconut flour when I find the need to satisfy my sweet tooth with some fresh-baked goods. I’ve been making my own coconut flour using the leftover pulp from homemade coconut milk I make in my Vitamix. Do you know how this homemade coconut flour might perform in your recipes?
Elana says
Anne, thanks for your comment! Homemade almond flour and coconut flour don’t yield good results in my recipes :-)
Emily says
May I ask why no potatoes? They’re not grains.
Elana says
Emily, thanks for your comment! I discuss more on that here:
https://elanaspantry.com/diets/specific-carbohydrate-diet/
I followed a super strict SCD for many years, now I follow it a bit more loosely, but still no corn or potatoes since I am unable to digest them.
Elana
Beth says
Such a wonderful post.
I have been a reader since around 2008/2009 and I love every post and every recipe that you create for us.
Although I’ve been reading you for so long, I had not realised (or maybe I forgot) that coconut flour was higher in carbs than almond flour. Thank you for this helpful information. I really appreciated the table with the nutritional information.
Thanks again for all that you do!
Elana says
Beth, thanks for your fantastic comment! I’m so happy to help and glad you found the table useful :-)
Mona says
Just curious I bought Red Mills as it’s so readily available- can you comment as to why you do not like that brand ?
Elana says
Mona, thanks for your comment. From what I’ve heard the company is lovely. Unfortunately I’ve had many readers let me know that it doesn’t work in my recipes and when I tried it myself it did not produce good results.
Andrea says
Thank you Elana, this is very helpful. I just started cooking/eating low carb/Keto and the flour situation stumped me!
Elana says
Andrea, it’s my pleasure to help :-)
JoAnn Lesieur says
Hi Elana,
I have a question concerning sunflower flour and have you ever made it? It cannot be bought because of it’s short shelf life but ground as needed. It is very popular in Romania.
Thanks,
JoAnn
Elana says
JoAnn, thanks for your comment! I have experimented with sunflower flour quite a bit and find that when used alone it has a bitter taste :-)
Sophie says
This is super helpful. I’ve been gluten-free for six years and paleo-ish for the last year and a half. For health reasons, I know we need to commit to paleo 100% but with two little kids, I want to still bake but felt guilty because I’ve read that’s still not best. BUT I want to stick with it and still celebrate Fridays, Holidays, etc. This is really helpful.
Elana says
Sophie, thanks for letting me know this is really helpful :-)